Public address housing assembly



May 8, 1956 J. B. HELLON PUBLIC ADDRESS HOUSING ASSEMBLY Filed June 19, 1952 N .MERY .RW IRRE .3'

United States Patent() PUBLIC ADDRESS HOUSING ASSEMBLY James B. Hellon, San Francisco, Calif. Application June 19, 1952, Serial No. 294,460 4 Claims. (Cl. 181-31) The present invention relates to housing support assemblies for loud speakers and the like. More particularly, the invention is concerned with incorporating such assemblies in walls and ceilings of buildings to provide an attractive installation substantially ilush with the supporting wall or ceiling.

Present day trends toward the modernization of building structures frequently demand functional installations, such as public address systems or intercommunication systems. Electrical components and systems are, however, subject to failure, and accordingly some means of access must be provided for the individual units to enable timely repairs and alterations or changes to be made. The present invention is primarily intended to be incorporated during the erection of a building as a permanent tixture therein; however, it should be understood that the housing assembly comprising the instant invention may be incorporated in existing structures to provide an equally effective and attractive arrangement.

Although the housing unit of the present invention is capable of mounting various electrical components, the invention will be described in connection with the application thereof to a conventional type loudspeaker; a feature of the invention residing in structure capable of receiving various types of loudspeakers, all of which are obtainable in the open market.

Broadly speaking, in practicing the invention, a box support having a loudspeaker accommodating opening in a surface thereof is secured to an appropriate reinforcing or structural member incorporated within a building wall or ceiling. Consequently the dimensions of the box support may be predicated upon the wall or ceiling dimensions, the thickness of the box being less than the thickness of the wall or ceiling and the width of the box being less than or equal to the spacing between adjacent wall studs, it being borne in mind that the dimensions of the box must also be suticient to accommodate the particular size loudspeaker selected for the building system. Ideally the box width is just equal to the spacing between adjacent studs, thereby enabling the box to be rigidly secured to each of the studs, although attachment to a single support only is also contemplated. Preferably, the box is provided with much smaller openings in other surfaces thereof to permit the free circulation of air through the box. 1f desired suitable sound absorbent material may be deployed along the inner surface of the box opposed to the loudspeaker opening.

A mounting sleeve of substantially the diameter of the loudspeaker opening is provided with a peripheral ange on one end thereof. The unilanged end of the sleeve is inserted through the loudspeaker opening and the sleeve is then secured rigidly to the box support leaving suicient spacing between the box and the sleeve flange to accommodate wall or ceiling lath and plaster. This construction enables a loudspeaker to be placed substantially through the sleeve with the conventional mounting lip of the speaker being in juxtaposition with the sleeve ange 2,744,584 Patented May 8, 1956 and the apex of the speaker cone extending internally of the box support. As the lip of conventional speakers which surround the cone base is usually provided with holes for mounting purposes an equal number of holes properly distributed may be drilled and tapped in the sleeve ange. In order to protect the speaker cone and to provide an attractive appearance a grille and facing member are respectively stacked on the mounting lip of the speaker and provided with holes positioned in accordance with those in the speaker lip. The speaker, grille and facing member are then secured to the sleeve flange by means of screws thereby admitting of ready access to the speaker unit. To enhance the ilushness of appearance of the assembly the facing member may be provided with an inwardly turned peripheral lip which abuts the wall or ceiling plaster surrounding the sleeve.

Accordingly, among the objects of the present invention are the following: to provide a housing assembly for incorporating sound reproducing apparatus such as radio equipment operated from a central control unit or controllable from any desired point within the walls or ceilings of buildings; to provide such a housing assembly which when viewed from within a room appears to be substantially flush with the wall or ceiling; and to provide a rugged and inexpensive housing assembly for sound reproducing devices, such as public address units, which admits of ready internal access for removing and repairing the unit.

Other and further objects of the instant invention will become more apparent to those skilled in the art from a reading of the following detailed description of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein;

Fig. 1 is a view in cross section taken through a building wall or ceiling which shows a completed housing assembly in accordance with the present invention included within the wall or ceiling structure;

Fig. 2 is an isometric view of the box support of Fig. l shown in juxtaposition with a building stud;

Fig. 3 is a view in cross section of the components of the structure of Fig. 1 which are permanently incorporated within the building structure;

Fig. 4 is a view in plan of the mounting sleeve so that only the peripheral iiange used to contact the mounting surface is visible;

Fig. 5 is a View in plan of a conventional type grille suitable for covering the base of the loudspeaker cone;

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the facing member applied to the structure of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 7 is a detailed cross sectional View of a portion of the structure of Fig. l showing a preferred means for securing the facing member, grille and loudspeaker to the mounting sleeve ange.

Referring now to the drawings and particularly to Fig. l there is shown a conventional type loudspeaker having a motor unit 11 and a connection transformer 13 mounted on the supporting web or spider 15 which forms the usual protecting or mounting lip 17 surrounding the base of the speaker cone 19. This structure is representative of most commercially available loudspeakers.

The housing assembly of the present invention which is adapted to accommodate such commercially available loudspeakers comprises the box support 21 best shown in Fig. 2. The box 21 is adapted to be incorporated within the building wall or ceiling structure to form a rigid support for the loudspeaker. Accordingly, the dimensions of the box are determined in accordance with the wall or ceiling dimensions wherein the box is to be incorporated, as well as, by the size loudspeaker to be accommodated. The former is best illustrated in Fig. 2 wherein rthe thickness of the box is shown comparable ICC to the width of a building stud Z3. Thesurface of the box disposed in the direction of the building room is provided with a loudspeaker opening Z6 of sufcient size as to pass the apex of the speaker cone 19 (Fig. l) but not the speaker mounting lip 17.

The box 21 is suitably attached to the stud 23 by, for example, the nails 25, visible in Fig. 1. Among suitable materials for the box support 21 is plywood which may have a thickness of, for example, between 1A and 1/2 depending again upon the size loudspeaker to be accommodated. A plurality of holes 27 is formed in the sides of the box 21 to permit air circulation occasioned, for example, by cone vibrations. If desired an acoustic pad 29 (Fig. l) may be alllxed within the box 21 to a side 31 thereof apposed to the loudspeaker opening 26. This pad functions to absorb or otherwise damp vibrations established within the box. The pad 29 may be glued to the box side 31 prior to the assembly of the box, which construction is most conveniently accomplished with the aid of the nails 33. t

A mounting sleeve 35 which may be descriptively termed a plaster ring is fitted within the loudspeaker opening 2o and secured to the face of the box forming this opening by means of, for example, nails 37 as is best shown in Fig. l. Along the outer edge of the sleeve 35 there is formed a peripheral flange 39 provided with tapped holes 41 (Fig. 4). As is shown in Figs. 1 and 3 the spacing between the box support 21 and the flange 1 39 is just sufficient to accommodate the building laths d?. and wall or ceiling plaster 45. The sleeve 35 may be secured to the box 21 either prior or subsequent to its incorporation within the wall or ceiling structure.

if, for example, the housing assembly of the present invention is to be installed in an existing building, it is frequently desirable to install the sleeve 35 in the opening of the box after the box is positioned within the wall. This enables more accurate spacing of the flange 39 relative to the plaster 45 Which will then constitute a fill-in around the sleeve. For new construction it is usually simpler to support and locate the sleeve within the box opening prior to its assembly adjacent to the stud.

ln Fig. 5 there is shown a plan view of a suitable grille 43 which may be employed to overlay the base portion of the loudspeaker cone 19. The grille may be of metal or fabric painted as desired to blend with the wall 'or ceiling colors. The grille 43 when of metal is provided with a number of holes 45 spaced in accordance with the holes 4l in the sleeve flange 39 for mounting purposes. In Fig. 6 the grille 43 is shown in dotted outline beneath a facing ring 47 which is provided with an inwardly turned lip 49 (Fig. l) adapted to bear against the wall or ceiling plaster 45. The facing ring 47 is also provided with a plurality of holes 51 distributed in accordance with the holes 41 of the plaster ring.

ln Fig. 7 there is shown a simple and efficient means of securing the facing ring, grille and loudspeaker to the sleeve flange 39. The speaker is first inserted through the sleeve 35 to project inwardly of the box 21 as is shown in Fig. l with the mounting lip 17 thereof resting against the sleeve flange 39. The speaker is then oriented so that the mounting holes provided in the lip 17 coincide with the tapped holes 4l in the sleeve flange 39. The grille 43 and facing ring 47 are next respectively stacked on the speaker lip 17 with the mounting holes 45 and 51 coinciding with the tapped holes 41 of the plaster ring. Suitable screws 53 are then inserted through the facing ring 47, grille 43, mounting lip of the speaker 17 and tightened in the tapped holes 41 of the sleeve flange 39 to project into the plaster layer 45. The inturned lip 49 of the facing ring 47 is thus brought to bear against the plaster layer l5 to provide a substantially flush appearance with the building wall or ceiling. To enhance the appearance of the unit a coating of paint blending with the wall or ceiling color may be applied to the facing ring if desired.

It should be noted that ready access to the loudspeaker may be had by merely removing the screws 53, facing ring 47 and grille d3. Thus, replacement of loudspeakers mounted in accordance with the present invention requires only a minimum of time and effort.

What is claimed is:

l. A housing assembly for a loudspeaker having a rigid mounting lip comprising, in combination, a box having at least one opening in a face thereof, a mounting sleeve secured to the box in communication with said opening, a peripheral flange on said sleeve spaced from said face, said loudspeaker extending within the sleeve and box entirely free of the box and with the lip thereof in abutting engagement with the sleeve flange, a grille in abutting engagement with the lip of the loudspeaker, a face plate in abutting engagement with the grille, and means penetrating the face plate, grille, loudspeaker lip and the sleeve flange to support the loudspeakerfrom the mounting sleeve free of the box.

2. A housing assembly for mounting a loudspeaker having a rigid mounting lip flush with Walls of buildings comprising, in combination, a box adapted to be inserted within a wall and secured to studs thereof, at least one surface of said box having an opening, a mounting sleeve having a peripheral flange secured to the box within said opening with the flange being spaced from said surface to accommodate wall plaster, said sleeve and box freely accommodating a loudspeaker with the lip thereof in abutting engagement with said flange, a grille positioned over the mouth of the loudspeaker and in Contact with the lip thereof, a facing ring abutting the grille, said facing ring having an inwardly turned lip adapted to bear against the wall plaster and means penetrating the facing member, grille, lip and flange of the mounting sleeve to tighten the inwardly turned lip against the wall plaster and support the loudspeaker from the mounting sleeve.

3. A housing assembly for removably mounting loudspeakers of the type having cones tted with mounting lips at the cone base within building walls and ceilings comprising, in combination, a box having a loudspeaker accommodating opening in one surface and a plurality of smaller openings in other surfaces thereof, sound absorbent means disposed within the b x adjacent to a surface opposed to the loudspeaker opening, said box being adapted to be fitted within a building wall or ceiling with the loudspeaker opening being exposed to a building room, a mounting sleeve having a flange disposed on one end penetrating said loudspeaker opening and secured to said one surface of the box with the flange being spaced from said one surface a distance measured by the thickness of plaster employed on the wall or ceiling in which the box is to be included, said sleeve being adapted to accommodate a loudspeaker with the mounting lip thereof being in juxtaposition with said flange and the loudspeaker extending inwardly of the box and out of contact therewith, a grille abutting said lip, a facing ring abutting the grille, an inwardly turned lip on the facing ring extending radially beyond the grille and sleeve 'flange and means penetrating the loudspeaker lip, grille, facing ring and the sleeve flange adapted to draw the ring, grille and loudspeaker lip together and to hold the loudspeaker tightly against the sleeve flange and support the loudspeaker and the inwardly turned lip against the plaster.

4. A housing assembly for removably mounting loudspeakers of the type having cones fitted with mounting lips at the cone base within building walls and ceilings comprising, in combination, a box having a loudspeaker accommodating opening in one surface and a plurality of smaller openings in other surfaces thereof, sound adsorbent means disposed within the box adjacent to a surface opposed to the loudspeaker opening, said box being adapted to be tted and sleeved Within a building wall or ceiling with the loudspeaker opening being exposed to a building room, a mounting sleeve having a ange disposed on one end penetrating said loudspeaker opening and secured to said one surface of the box with the flange extending outwardly from the box and beyond the plane of the box surface in which the speaker opening is formed by a distance measured by the thickness of plaster employed on the wall or ceiling in which the box is to be included, said sleeve being adapted to accommodate a loudspeaker with the loudspeaker mounting lip thereof being in juxtaposition with outer surface of said flange and the apex of the loudspeaker cone extending inwardly of the box and enclosed thereby and free from Contact therewith, a grille and a facing ring having an inwardly turned peripheral lip, the inner surface of said ring being in abutting engagement with the loudspeaker lip, and means for securing the loudspeaker, the grille and the facing ling to the said ange in the named order to draw the components together and to support the loudspeaker internally of the box.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS liordan et al Dec. 10, 1929 Ringel Sept. 15, 193i Langley Feb. 2, 1932 Cadieux Apr. 23, 1933 Du Puy Jan. 23, 1934 Hopkins May 9, 1939 Little July 11, 1939 Schenck May 12, 1942 Glazer Ian. 1, 1952 Nellven Dec. 2, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS France Apr. 17, 1946 

